Your privacy choices

Once in a generation, a scientific breakthrough changes the world of wellness: a discovery that has the power to lift millions of lives. Just such a breakthrough took place at the end of the last century, but the research for some 20 years been hidden in plain sight, until…Tony connected all the dots! Now the #1 natural health product is taking the world by storm! After a successful career in the furniture industry, Tony and his wife Jennifer were lookingfor a quiet retirement in the countryside. They considered creating a nature preserve but settled on planting an apple orchard. Due to the physical demands of his furniture business over the years and the “hands on” farm work, Tony had continued to experience pain and inflammation in his hands, back and other joints. Preferring a natural approach, as he’d been using another all-natural product to assist in his inflammation and pain, when a friend told him that this Super Fruit called the Aronia Berry, delivers 2x to 10x times the antioxidant value of most other superfruits and is rated as the #1 Antioxidant fruit on planet earth, he was naturally curious.  Tony then plunged into months of research. He discovered a scattering of independent farmers who were passionate about this remarkable fruit. His focus then changed to organize premier aronia berry growers together to supply aronia to a wide-open market, searching for the fountain of youth! Over the next 6 years he continued to expand his contacts of farmers by holding meetings and bringing bresearch and education to the group. Tony then formally founded the Aronia growers’ organization in the summer of 2015. This company would be responsible for educating the farmers and to aid in bringing the highest quality product that would benefit family and friends all across the nation. Early in 2014 he manufactured his first large production run of a minimally processed, pure Aronia berry juice through the company he co-founded, Akron Apple & Aronia, Inc.Selling to regional health food stores, independent grocery stores and eventually to the largest Midwest grocery store chain. He and his wife Jennifer started this process by loading up the Aronia Juice each morning and set out in different directions introducing the aronia products to health food stores and independent grocery stores. Because of the limited knowledge of aronia in the retail marketplace and the inability to have an aronia berry salesperson at the end of every juice aisle sharing the great news of the power of aronia, another marketing pathway needed to be introduced to bring aronia to be a household name.Tony recognized that the best way to tell a new story is person to person. People trust their friends far more than advertisements. When a product like Akronia Valley’s Aronia Berry juice has an unmistakable health impact on a person’s body, it is natural to want to share the product and benefits with others. When one has a personal experience, the product is explained in the most authentic way possible as well, and everyone can experience and share the health benefits. Tony and Jennifer made their next big decision, they would bring Akronia Valleys’ 100% pure Aronia Juice to the public through the internet, referrals and influencers, ultimately to share Aronia with the world. Tony Heisterkamp had no intention of launching a wellness company when he bought a small farm back in 2005. But his passion to share the story of Aronia and to help change people’s lives for the better is evident in his unbelievable level of activity. Building literally from the ground up, his own farm production, his extensive library of over 85 scientific and medical research publications, his ability to organize the largest Aronia growers’ group in North America, his product development expertise for the retail arena, and now his development of direct to consumer sales across the country. With these elements all in place, the foundation has been laid to launch a massive effort in the national and international health and wellness arena in a powerful, yet simple, pure drink that is second to none. After seeing the extensive amount of scientific and medical research confirming that aronia really was what it said it was, Tony and Jennifer became convinced they should set aside land to grow aronia. As an entrepreneur, Tony began marketing the fruit from his farm. He then began experimenting and formulating different valued added products. He took the berries and pressed them through his apple press and got pure, 100% Aronia juice. This pure Aronia juice was a hit.People continued to call him asking for more. He soon realized that he was on to something big.He realized that his farm alone could not supply this country with what it would take to get this across America. In 2009, he began holding meetings with other like-minded farmers.